Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 76: By Your Side

“Zzzzt—”

A tiny electronic screen flickered to life, the image shaking before settling beneath a persimmon tree. It was winter in the footage. Snow blanketed the ground and tree branches.

An elderly man, around his sixties or seventies, carried a folding stool and sat at the center of the frame. He squinted with a cheerful smile as he settled in. A big yellow dog waddled over and leapt into his arms.

The dog wore a tattered red collar, clearly aged, with dry and matted fur.

“Alright, alright. Good dog, good dog.” The old man patted its head, then called out loudly, “Fan’er, Qian’er, come over and let Grandpa record you!”

Two children around ten came running, munching on candied hawthorn skewers. Dressed in thick puffy jackets, they looked like two buns smeared in colorful frosting.

The yellow dog immediately switched targets, frantically licking the sugary hawthorn.

The old man wrapped his arms around his grandkids, beaming at the camera.

“Everyone came home for the New Year. My second son bought me this camcorder, so I’m trying it out today,” he said to the camera a bit awkwardly. “This thing’s great. It helps you remember stuff!”

“Grandpa, why don’t you keep a diary?” the granddaughter asked.

“Grandpa’s uneducated and illiterate.”

“This’ll get full!” the grandson said.

“They said the card’s really big… Grandpa, you gotta use it sparingly!”

“Woof woof!” The yellow dog paced around the old man happily.

The old man laughed with pure joy.

“Dad, don’t stay out too long. It’s cold!” a woman called from off-camera.

“Alright…”

……

The next clip was from autumn. The persimmon tree was heavy with plump fruit. The little girl obediently stood beneath the tree while the old man marked her height.

The boy crouched nearby playing on a phone, game sounds chiming out.

The big yellow dog from the last video was gone. In its place lay a half-year-old mutt with black-and-yellow fur, quietly resting at the old man’s feet, its tail giving occasional flicks.

“Where’s Big Yellow? Wasn’t it always around?” the granddaughter asked.

“Big Yellow got old. It’s gone.” The old man’s smile dimmed. “That’s how dogs are. They have short lives.”

“Big Yellow was older than us, already ten. Mom and Dad said it wouldn’t make it through the winter.” The grandson muttered without looking up, “Better to be a human. Humans live longer.”

The old man was silent for a moment. “Yeah… we live longer as humans.”

The little mutt at his feet watched the three of them with round eyes.

After the girl finished marking her height, she ran over to fondle the puppy’s soft ears. Its tail swept the fallen leaves, ears twitching under her fingers.

“Dad, time to eat!” a man’s voice came from off-screen.

“Alright…”

……

The third clip was spring. There were no children this time… It was just the now-grown puppy.

The old man sat under the tree alone, breaking off pieces of a meat bun and feeding them to his dog.

“I asked Second Son’s wife, and she said this thing can record for years. I figure, I haven’t got that many years left. Just recording them coming back won’t use it up.”

He patted the dog’s head and sat upright for the camera, like preparing to go on TV.

“I’d better record more, right Douzi? What should we film today…”

The dog, “Douzi”, finished the bun and tilted its head to lick crumbs and grease from the old man’s fingers.

The old man looked down for a moment at the worn red collar.

“Well then, let’s talk about you today. Counting properly, you’d be the fifteenth…”

…The old man had raised dogs nearly his entire life.

As a child, he lost his parents in wartime and nearly froze to death in the streets, until he clung to a neighbor’s old dog and barely survived.

Since then, he insisted on raising dogs. In his words, he liked them anyway, and besides, even the heavens seemed to bless him when he did.

For this reason, with his first savings, he didn’t buy meat or clothes. He went to a leatherworker and commissioned a red collar. It was like a belt, adjustable so a dog could wear it from puppyhood to old age.

The rest of his story was quiet and uneventful.

In his youth, he traveled far and wide, always with a dog by his side for protection.

If he had one bite of food, the dog got one too. He worked at a factory while the dog waited in a nearby shack. When the nights were cold, they’d sleep together. Neither minded the other’s smell.

“Number Four had the worst luck. Some idiot stole it to eat.” The old man paused mid-story, cursing bitterly. “I beat that guy till he puked. Unfortunately, I only managed to get the collar back…”

Later, when he settled down, his dogs guarded the home.

He and his wife had two sons and one daughter. The eldest died at birth, and the daughter passed from illness at age three.

He raised his second son with difficulty, only for him to leave early for schooling. At home, it was just his wife, and his dog.

His son boarded away and only came home twice a year. From then on, his life was slowly drowned by “waiting”.

“Number Nine was the best… It chased off a thief trying to steal chickens.”

“It was a bit dumb though. Every time Second Son came home, it had to recognize him all over again. Maybe it was getting old…”

The old man muttered as he cuddled the dog.

When he turned sixty, his wife died of cancer. His son had a career and family far away, with a son and daughter of his own, only visiting during short autumn holidays or New Year’s.

Old friends either passed away or moved in with their children. The big courtyard became empty, with only the little dog dashing endlessly through it.

After he was left alone, “waiting” consumed nearly all of his life.

He waited for family when he was happy and waited for death when he was not.

“I sit here waiting. When I go out, you wait here too. We’re kind of alike.”

The old man kissed the dog’s furry head. “Life’s too long.”

“Woof!” The dog licked the tip of his nose.

Maybe from having nothing else to do, he treated the camcorder like a diary.

He’d go out in the morning to tend the plants and record for a few minutes each evening. Season after season, rain or shine.

He spoke to the dark camera lens, telling his day’s little stories, occasionally reminiscing.

At first, he was stiff, then relaxed, then fully at ease, like the machine was no longer a device, but an old friend who knew how to listen.

But as he aged, his spine hunched further. His son and daughter-in-law’s hair grayed. The grandchildren grew up and started their own families.

In his short “diary clips”, reunions grew fewer and farther between.

Until one year, during New Year’s, the gate stayed quiet. No one came.

Still, the old man always sat with his back to the persimmon tree, facing the little camcorder, or rather, the courtyard gate beyond it.

Thankfully, the recordings weren’t all bleak.

In the blurry footage, many little dogs grew up and passed on. But there was always one dog by the old man’s side, bouncing through the years, waiting faithfully.

Only when looking at them did his wrinkled face stir with the hint of a smile.

More than twenty years, compressed into just a few hours.

The final recording was in winter.

The wind was fierce that day so you could hear its howl in the footage. Snow blanketed the ground and branches. The old man, now nearly ninety, was wrapped in a black padded coat, body like a hollowed walnut.

Still, he carried out his stool and sat beneath the tree.

“This card’s nearly full. And I’m still here.”

He squinted against the wind, breath fogging faintly.

A little black dog happily bounded over, jumping into his lap.

The old man slowly lowered his head, gently petting it. His shriveled hands had been turned reddish-brown by the cold wind.

“Good dog, good dog, you’re so warm,” he murmured.

The black dog licked his hand, tail wagging nonstop.

The old man stared blankly into the lens.

His thoughts thinned like water. Memories faded. Like a sponge completely wrung dry, he couldn’t even make small talk.

“Oh right. Gotta go buy salt. We’re out of salt…”

After sitting for several minutes, he patted the dog again and shakily stood up.

The dog tilted its head, confused. Seeing him about to leave, it habitually rushed up and tried to bite the heel of his right foot.

“Don’t fuss.” The old man smiled. “Wait here. I’ll be back to play with you.”

“Woof woof!” The little black dog circled his feet.

“Sit. Wait!”

The dog obediently sat.

The old man stepped out of frame, into the howling wind.

The dog waited.

It waited until noise rose outside the gate. Until a siren wailed in the distance.

Someone shouted about the wind, about slipping, about there being no one home.

The little black dog didn’t understand.

It lay under the persimmon tree, muzzle resting on its paws, staring at the gate.

Later, someone entered the courtyard and began rummaging through things. The dog ran out of frame, barking furiously.

The camera shook and someone picked it up.

“Hey, careful, leave that. Someone’s relative might come back for it.”

“And the dog? It won’t let anyone touch it. Doesn’t matter how we try.”

“Just give it something to eat.”

The dog barked until it was tired, then stubbornly returned beneath the tree.

Dusk fell and the noise faded. The camcorder’s battery was nearing empty. Snow covered the dog. It occasionally shook it off, only to lie back down in the same spot.

The storm intensified.

The dog trembled, its breath growing faint. But it never moved.

It stared stubbornly at the gate.

Its master hadn’t come home.

He told it to wait.

[So it waited.]

…At last, the footage ended and the screen went black.

……

Fang Xiu put down the camcorder and was speechless for a moment. The little black dog circled his feet and barked proudly twice.

Bai Shuangying translated, “Its master always smiled at this thing. So it thought you’d like it too.”

Fang Xiu crouched down and gently scratched its ears. Around its neck, the red leather collar stood out sharply. Old and worn, it radiated yin qi.

After watching the video, the true form of the “E” was clear.

The object that carried all that karma and belonged to the dog was that old red collar.

This time, it didn’t hold human karma or obsession.

Dozens of dogs had worn it. They had each, in their lives, accompanied and waited for one man.

In the end, it soaked up the obsessive longing of that wait, buried beneath wind and snow, alongside the last little black dog.

…This E’s karma wasn’t vast or heavy. In fact, it was astoundingly ordinary. But in terms of karmic entanglement, it was tighter than even the Mid-Autumn E, and its obsession was terrifyingly pure.

The dog didn’t understand its master had died. It didn’t understand it had died.

It only remembered that on a windy day, the old man left and never returned.

The world beyond the gate was dangerous. The wind was dangerous. It had to protect their home. It had to keep waiting.

So, beyond the three standard taboos, the E created countless more ghostly “penalties”, punishing the bad, stopping violence. The dog wasn’t deliberately confusing the rules. It was simply doing its job: guarding its home.

“How strong is it?” Fang Xiu sat down, stroking the little dog with both hands.

“It could become an immortal at any time.” Bai Shuangying hesitated before sitting across from him. “It’s bound to the E, and it devours ghosts daily. That’s just barely enough.”

Fang Xiu paused mid-pet. “Why won’t the Underworld help it?”

“It lacks intelligence,” Bai Shuangying said plainly. “It doesn’t know it’s dead, so it never considers moving on.”

The dog licked its nose happily, panting pointlessly.

Fang Xiu: “…” So… basically, it’s too dumb.

Fang Xiu: “If I destroy the E…”

“Its obsession is too pure to become an evil spirit. Without the E to sustain it, it will eventually dissipate.” Bai Shuangying told the truth. He was in a good mood. Since Fang Xiu liked the dog, he’d surely stay longer.

Sure enough, Fang Xiu’s face dimmed a little. He picked up the soft, cold dog.

“Looks like I’ll be staying here a while longer,” he said softly, rubbing the dog hard.

Bai Shuangying: “!”

Just as he thought, coaxing was better than coercion. He was beginning to enjoy “thinking”. Watching his human willingly step into the nest gave him a strange sense of accomplishment.

Still, Fang Xiu didn’t seem truly happy.

After some intense mental effort, Bai Shuangying came up with a perfect idea—a way to help Fang Xiu relax and want to stay longer.

He shifted his gaze from the camcorder. “I can recreate your karma.”

“My karma?”

“You said your grandmother’s courtyard looked like this. If you’re staying long-term, I can use illusions to recreate it.” Bai Shuangying said, “Just like the gambler rooms in Huanxi World. I only need a thread of karmic tie.”

He would start with one thread. That way, he could understand Fang Xiu’s past, and better coax his human. It was killing two birds with one stone.

Fang Xiu: “…I said my grandmother died violently. She hated me.”

Bai Shuangying replied without pause, “But when you mentioned her, your expression was full of nostalgia.”

Fang Xiu dropped his gaze and was silent for a long time. “How do I give you my karma?”

“Let me look into your soul.” Bai Shuangying was completely justified.

He hadn’t yet recovered enough to manipulate karma at will.

Fang Xiu froze. His soul was still housed in his body. If Bai Shuangying had to touch it, did that mean…

“It’s the same as drawing essence. A kiss will do.” Bai Shuangying said, “You said you’d only kiss me if you liked me. You never said I couldn’t kiss you.”

Fang Xiu: “???”

Wait, that actually made sense. He wasn’t sure whether to marvel at Bai Shuangying’s cunning or at his devilish logic.

Fang Xiu’s heart skipped twice. If this was to extract karma, and Bai Shuangying was the one initiating… Then this wasn’t using him, right?

He was about to spend a short period of peaceful slice of life with a ghost he liked. There wouldn’t be another chance like this.

Maybe, just a little bit of sweetness… wouldn’t hurt?

…Well, the ending was already written anyway.

Fang Xiu gently set down the little dog. He patted his own face and carefully smoothed every wrinkle in his T-shirt.

After fussing with his clothes, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, adjusting his mental state. He was practically meditating.

Bai Shuangying waited patiently for half a stick of incense.

Finally, Fang Xiu opened his eyes, but his gaze drifted toward the hand pump. “I want to rinse my mouth first—no, boil water and take a bath…”

Bai Shuangying lost all patience.

He grabbed Fang Xiu, who was frantically shaking his head and shouting, “Wait, there’s mint leaves outside. Let me chew on a few pieces first,” and sealed his lips with an entirely new method.

Like a beast caught by the scruff, Fang Xiu instantly froze.

Just as soft and warm as he remembered, Bai Shuangying thought.

Humans were really obsessed with mating rituals… He’d already inhabited Fang Xiu’s body once, and that time, Fang Xiu didn’t react nearly like this.

The sudden kiss sent Fang Xiu’s temperature soaring. His soul stirred violently, spiritual essence leaking out.

Bai Shuangying stayed focused. While Fang Xiu’s soul was unstable, he pulled forth the karmic thread he wanted…

A crimson strand emerged from Fang Xiu’s chest, almost blending into his red T-shirt.

Too easy. He might as well peek a bit more.

Fang Xiu’s soul had only slightly fluctuated, maybe he could dig a bit deeper, see some other karmic ties.

While kissing, Bai Shuangying held Fang Xiu’s shoulders tightly.

He wasn’t sure how humans kissed, but he knew they used tongues. And since he could reshape his body… Well, naturally that would mean he was better than ordinary humans.

He toyed with Fang Xiu’s tongue, then split his own into multiple strands.

His tongue extended and tangled in Fang Xiu’s throat, pressing against the warm esophagus. The tips had slight keratin, tickling the soft mucosa. Fang Xiu whimpered a few times, sweat forming on his skin.

The deep kiss made his soul ripple harder. Bai Shuangying was just about to dig deeper…

“Puh—!”

Fang Xiu shoved him away, gasping for air, skin flushed as red as his shirt.

Bai Shuangying regretfully retracted his tongues. More than a dozen claw-like tips merging into one.

Oh, right. He forgot, humans needed to breathe.

He wasn’t used to invading people in human form and accidentally blocked Fang Xiu’s airway.

“…You—cough—you got the karma.” Fang Xiu stared at the red thread on his chest, trying to sound composed.

“Mm,” Bai Shuangying nodded.

It was hard to say whether Fang Xiu looked more shocked or… pleased. But the soul fluctuation proved he was moved, so Bai Shuangying didn’t mess up.

Fang Xiu rubbed his face for a long time and finally stammered. “So… uh… how’s it taste? My soul?”

Bai Shuangying: “……”

He frowned. “…I forgot to taste it.”

He wasn’t used to multitasking. He’d been too focused on peeking, to the point he forgot to savor his human…!

Fang Xiu: “?”

Seeing his ghost’s sour expression, Fang Xiu’s confusion melted into snickering.

Bai Shuangying gave him a long, reproachful stare. Fang Xiu couldn’t hold it in anymore… He hugged the little black dog and burst into laughter.

“…Well, this way you’ve got a surprise to look forward to.”

Fang Xiu wiped away tears of laughter, cheeks still bright red. “Next time, make sure you remember. I’m not reminding you.”

Bai Shuangying said nothing.

Fine. At least his human was happier now. And…

He tightened his grip on the karmic thread and began to peer inside.

……

At first glance, Bai Shuangying thought he hadn’t moved. Because… Fang Xiu’s grandmother’s courtyard looked exactly like this one.

Same main hall and two side wings. Same tree in the middle. Even the water pump was in the same spot.

Except… her tree wasn’t a persimmon. It was a jujube.

“Grandma! Grandma!”

A little boy in a red jacket ran stumbling into the courtyard, face lit with joy. He was maybe four or five years old.

Bai Shuangying watched for a while before recognizing him. Not because of age, but because he had never seen Fang Xiu look so… carefree.

“Ah, my little darling. Don’t fall!”

A sturdy old woman rushed out, scooping him into her arms. “Did our Xiu Xiu miss Grandpa and Grandma?”

“I did!”

“Not lying to Grandma?” She beamed, her wrinkles stretching smooth.

“I never lie.”

Little Fang Xiu puffed his chest. “Mom and Dad said you have to be honest. Only bad kids lie!”

“That’s right. Our Xiu Xiu is a good boy. What do you want to eat, hmm? Grandma will make anything you want.”

She pinched his chubby cheek.

“Sesame sugar cakes! Grandma makes the best sesame sugar cakes!” Little Fang Xiu ordered without hesitation.

“Alright, alright. We’ll have our fill of sugar cakes.” The old woman grabbed his hand and led him inside with a laugh.

As they walked, Little Fang Xiu kept turning back. “Mom, Dad—hurry up! Grandma’s making cakes!”

Behind him, a smiling couple followed, carrying gifts while talking and laughing.

…There was doubt about it. That was Fang Xiu’s parents. He looked strikingly like his mother. Bai Shuangying recognized her instantly.

He stared at the parents for a long time. They were a beautiful couple, clear eyes, soft expressions, expensive clothes, full of grace and warmth. And judging by their mannerisms, they had nothing to do with the metaphysics.

So, Fang Xiu’s parents were ordinary humans, probably well-educated and kind. If he’d grown up normally, he should’ve been a refined young man.

How had he turned into what he was now?

Bai Shuangying tapped his fingers and fast-forwarded along the karmic thread, skipping over all the happy moments, straight to the death of Fang Xiu’s grandfather.

That year, Fang Xiu was nine.

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The author has something to say:

First kiss for the young couple! Fang Xiu’s explosive first kiss (…

Guess if the dog will follow him next chapter☆

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Kinky Thoughts:

This is pretty explicit for Nian Zhong… Damn. Kinky. Is she gonna be alright on JJ?

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